BOCA RATON, Fla. (May 9, 2013) – The Florida Atlantic University Division of Community Engagement recently brought together scholarship benefactors and student recipients at two events in the Recruiting Lounge at FAU Stadium on the Boca Raton campus. The events, a breakfast and luncheon, allowed the FAU community to publicly thank donors who have generously championed and sustained the dreams and accomplishments of deserving students.

Guests were welcomed at both events by Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D. ’05, vice president of community engagement and executive director of the FAU Foundation; and FAU President Mary Jane Saunders. Bruce Allen ’71, vice chair of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors provided additional remarks at the breakfast, and Randy Justice ’73, chair of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors, spoke at the luncheon.

“To all of the donors who are here today, I offer heartfelt thanks. Through your generosity, you truly are touching the future,” said Saunders. “You are helping our students pursue their dreams of earning degrees at FAU and then going out into the world to make their own unique contributions to our society. You are changing their lives and helping them create a better tomorrow.”

Highlights included a $200,000 check presentation from BB&T for FAU student scholarships, and remarks from student Kadeem Ricketts, who offered his thanks on behalf of all scholarship recipients. Ricketts is a junior Liberal Arts and Sciences major in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and is active in Student Government. He received the Kenan Social Engagement Scholarship, which provides financial assistance for planning and implementing a social entrepreneurship activity, as well as the prestigious Henry Morrison Flagler Scholarship, a full merit award that covers tuition, room and board. Through the Flagler Scholarship program, Ricketts served internships with the Broadway Reinvestment Coalition and Community Redevelopment Agencies of Riviera Beach, and the offices of State Representatives Perry Thurston and Mark Pafford. This summer he will study responsible investment and strategic knowledge at The Stockholm School of Business in Sweden.

“Everything that I’ve experienced at FAU is because of the scholarships I’ve received. In addition to serving in Student Government, I’ve been able to give back to the community by serving as the executive director of a nonprofit organization,” said Ricketts. “If I am ever able to give in the future, I would like nothing better than to do so—and generously. Your contributions not only ease an obvious financial burden; they get the wheel turning in a cycle that never ends. The investment in education is one that always yields an exponential return.”

The FAU Foundation Board is comprised of a dedicated group of alumni and friends of the University who volunteer their time and expertise to spearhead fundraising efforts and manage the Foundation’s assets. For more information about the FAU Foundation, including giving opportunities, visit http://fauf.fau.edu or call 561-297-2891.

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About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of three signature themes – marine and coastal issues, biotechnology and contemporary societal challenges – which provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.